If addiction were so easy, people wouldn’t want to quit and wouldn’t have to quit. Clinical experience has shown that occasional thoughts of using need to be normalized in therapy. They do not mean the individual will relapse or that they are doing a poor job of recovery. Once a person has experienced addiction, it is impossible to erase the memory. But with good coping skills, a person can learn to let go of thoughts of using quickly.
Stage 3: Physical relapse
Learning what to do when what do you do when an alcoholic relapses, or is exposed to relapse triggers, is streamlined if you have a thorough understanding of how the process works. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, Into Action Recovery is here to help. Our compassionate and experienced team provides personalized treatment plans to guide you toward lasting sobriety.
Mental Health and Loneliness
It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Some people feel that relapse prevention is about saying no right before they take a drink. In reality, the physical relapse stage is the most difficult to stop, and it’s a final stage rather than a standalone. If you experience a physical relapse, you might need to return to treatment or revisit your relapse prevention plan. Treatment didn’t fail, and you didn’t either, but a physical relapse can mean that your treatment plan may need to be adjusted or evolve with your changing needs. Although alcoholic relapse is not your responsibility, family members do well to stay involved with clinical family visits.
The Importance of Family Education for Addiction Treatment
Whether on your alcoholic relapse own, with a rehab counselor, or through your support group, you should create an alcohol relapse prevention plan. Relapse prevention is a skills-based, cognitive-behavioral approach. It helps people learn how to avoid the triggers and situations that lead them to drink again. Recovery from alcohol addiction is a lifelong journey that requires dedication, self-awareness, and strong support.
Alcohol relapse is a part of the process
While it is a common part of the recovery drug addiction treatment process, it can lead to dangerous behaviors that may harm both the relapsing individual and their loved ones. Mindfulness and coping skills reduce relapse risk by strengthening emotional awareness, improving trigger management, and building resilience in recovery. Mindfulness and relapse prevention techniques help individuals recognize triggers more effectively by increasing their present-moment awareness of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
- Many people find that sharing their experiences with others who understand their struggles, such as a relapse, helps them stay motivated.
- Several effective treatments and strategies can help people regain control and continue their recovery journey.
- Let Little Creek Recovery Center guide you down the right path to recovery, personal growth, and long-term sobriety.
Clinical experience has shown that addicted individuals typically take less than they need, and, as a result, they become exhausted or resentful and turn to their addiction to relax or escape. Part of challenging addictive thinking is to encourage clients to see that they cannot be good to others if they are first not good to themselves. Despite its importance, self-care is one of the most overlooked aspects of recovery. Without it, individuals can go to self-help meetings, have a sponsor, do step work, and still relapse. Self-care is difficult because recovering individuals tend to be hard on themselves 9. Self-care is especially difficult for adult children of addicts 27.
